


Sweet Dreams

by songsofthespring



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Jack Knew First, M/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-28 23:22:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6349804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songsofthespring/pseuds/songsofthespring
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The only time Eric sees him is in dreams. It's just glimpses. Flashes, really. Most times, Eric doesn't see him at all but sees other things instead. Things he's seen. Things he likes, maybe. The dreams only leave him terrified and aching some of the time, but well, that some of the time is pretty awful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> There are already so many wonderful soulmate AUs in this fandom but I just couldn't help myself. This fic was written before the glorious update so it's not canon compliant. 
> 
> This is a soulmate AU in which you experience your soulmate through dreams. You can sometimes get glimpses of their physical features but more often it's strong emotions and memories.
> 
> This fic is dedicated to Meg because I forced her to read this fic and she gave me the courage to finally post it.

Eric's dreams are horrible and the older he gets the worse they become. On the worst nights, he wakes sweaty, panting, and trying not to retch.

"Don't do it," he says, into the silence, "I'm here, we're going to find each other, _please_."

One night he doesn't dream at all, and he's frantic with worry, and the next night, his dreams are filled with hospital walls and the feeling of emptiness.  
\--  
After he fucks over his life, Jack is happier asleep then when he's awake. His dreams are almost always pleasant, warm, with sweet smells and a feeling that just radiates home. He starts taking naps any time he's feeling awful, even though it fucks with his routine, which his therapist says he needs. He doesn't care, because he needs _this._ He tries not to wonder if these are just ordinary dreams, some sort of fluke where he remembers ordinary dreams during the day. Some days he tells himself they have to be meant for someone else because he doesn't deserve dreams like these. He's not good enough.

\--  
Eric walks downstairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and smiles at his mother when he heads into the kitchen.

"Good morning Dicky!" She says, and kisses his forehead. "So? Any dreams last night? How is your girl doing?"

"She's," Eric pauses, the pronoun sticking in his throat, when he knows that the dreams don't come from a girl. "Okay. Doing better, I think. Much better than she...was."

"That's good to hear! Oh, that poor angel, God knows what sort of thing made her so upset, but that's why the two of you need to hurry up and meet up so you can give her some good old fashioned southern comfort!"

Eric smiles. "Yeah. I'd really like that. I wonder what sort of pie she'll like best." He allows himself to wonder, only a moment. "Hey mom?"

"Hmm?" His mother has already turned back to the pancakes she's currently making, starting to flip them. Eric's mouth waters. They're perfectly golden brown.

"Um. I've been doing some more college research? And I think I've decided on Samwell!"

\--  
"Papa, I'm _fine_. It was a small thing, just a little one. And it was something stupid.

"Hey," Papa says, raising his voice just a decimal in warning, "Nothing that makes you have a panic attack is stupid Jack."

Jack sighs. "Really, it was fine. Honestly. And Shitty helped me through it, so it didn't last long at all."

"Huh," says Papa, gruffly, his way of saying that he doesn't believe Jack, but he won't push it. He clears his throat. "So, how are the dreams?"

Jack can't fight the smile that comes over his face. His papa knows Jack's dreams are a sure fire way to cheer Jack up, and he's not wrong. "Good. Still really good. I um. I know what his eyes look like now."

"His eyes, huh?" Papa says, warmly. "And?"

"They're beautiful. Big and brown. They seem really warm. I think. I think he might be really handsome."

"Ha. So long as he likes to skate, I'm sure you'll have no problem with him, no matter how ugly he is."

"Papa!" Jack groans, embarrassed.

His papa laughs, "I'd love to chat some more, son, but I have to go. You can't keep people waiting at these dinners, as you know, and your mother is trying to rush me out the door."

"Okay," Jack says. Despite his previous flush, his face feels cold. "Give my love to Maman."

"I will. I love you son."

"I love you too Papa."

\--  
On Eric's first day at Samwell, he wakes from a particularly vivid dream. He hasn't gotten much from his soulmate yet except intense bouts of emotion and occasional flashes of things his boy has seen. A golden trophy from some sort of youth sports league. A hockey stick, taped over carefully. An empty pill bottle. Hospital walls. Not much to go on, really, except that he was sick and that he's good at sports, probably hockey.

Except, last night, he saw him. Well, not all of him. Just the lower half of his face: lips forming a smile and the shape of his chin. He has very kissable lips, Eric thinks. There is a hint of stubble around his mouth, and his smile is glorious. It's wide, with nice movie-star level teeth, but it's also somehow hesitant, like he's not sure he's supposed to be smiling at all and he's a little shy about it. It's perfect.

Eric thinks it's an omen of good luck for his first day at Samwell. He doesn't want to be late for his first class, but he stays in bed a little longer than normal, just picturing that smile, and trying not to wiggle in excitement.

Today, he's going to meet the boys on Samwell's men's hockey team.  
\--  
Jack knows, almost immediately. Those eyes are pretty distinctive. It terrifies him, that Bittle is _here_ and they're....oh god, he's not going to have a panic attack about this, he's _not._

It drives him crazy, because he's supposed to be in love with this kid, but all he can do is snap at him and chirp him and generally make an ass of himself whenever Bittle is around.

Plus, it seems Bittle isn't aware of who Jack is to him yet, which means Jack can't apologize for being awkward and awful because then he'd have to explain that Bittle is his _soulmate_.

Ugh, he's really gone and fucked himself over with this one.

"What is your deal, brah?" Shitty says later, casually strolling into Jack's room the way he does. "You're never this hard on the new frogs."

"Shitty, he's---ugh." Jack says, running his hands through his hair.

Shitty raises an eyebrow. "Is this your way of telling me you've got a crush on Bitty?"

"W-what?" Jack blurts, freezing, his fingers still buried in his hair. "Not so loud, Shits!" Jack hurries to shut the door, his voice a shrill whisper. "If the rest of the Haus hears you, then the chirping will be endless and Bittle will hear about it."

"Oh ho! That's basically as good as a confession from you!" Shitty grins, holds out a hand for a high-five. "You've got some good taste, bro."

"It's not--" Jack sighs. He can't outright lie to Shitty. He slowly presses his hand against Shitty's. "It's complicated."

"Sounds like you're making it more complicated than it needs to be," Shitty says, shaking his head. "Just tell the guy you wanna kiss his cute face, and there you go, you'll be married by next year."

"Shitty!" Jack groans in embarrassment, shoving an elbow into Shitty's side. Shitty laughs and shoves his shoulder against Jack's good naturedly.

"Seriously, though, I'm rooting for you." Shitty says, clapping a hand onto Jack's shoulder.

"Thanks," says Jack, "Me too."  
\--  
Eric squares his shoulders, taking a deep breath. "Okay, ready."

Jack comes at him, shoving his shoulder against Eric's, pushing him against the boards.

Eric breathes the way Jack taught him, concentrating on keeping it easy, and shoves back just hard enough to manage to wiggle away.

"Good!" Jack says, smiling. "That was very good."

Eric turns back and beams. "Again?"

"Sure," says Jack. "Let's try with pads this time."

Eric waits nervously as Jack puts his pads on. Eric is wearing his already, so he has nothing to do but try not to panic.

Jack skates back onto the ice, takes one look at Eric and says, "Let's just skate a while, eh? After that last one you deserve a break."

"Thanks," Eric says, his shoulders relaxing.

They skate side-by-side for a couple of laps, steadily picking up speed until they're racing. Eric, laughing, speeds past Jack, who is grinning like a maniac.

They skate until they're both panting for breath. Eric can't believe he had thought about quitting the team.

"Ready to try?" Jack asks, his face flushed from chasing Eric all around the ice.

Eric nods, "Yes, okay, let's do it." He skates over to the boards again. He's still nervous but Jack doesn't seem so intimidating when the tip of his nose and the apples of his cheeks are red and his mouth is still turned up in a smile.

"Okay," says Jack, squaring his shoulders. "I'm coming at you."

Eric nods, watching as Jack picks up speed, jams himself against Eric, shoving him against the boards. Eric feels faint but thinks, 'It's just Jack, it's just Jack,' and somehow, he doesn't pass out.

"Fight through it Bittle, come on." Jack says in his ear, "Square up now."

Eric shoves back, breathing hard but _breathing_ , pushing off the boards.

"Yes!" Jack tells him, looking thrilled. "That's the way, Bittle!" He gives Eric a pat on the back and his hand lingers, warm and broad.

Eric looks at Jack's smile and thinks, Oh, it's almost like--

He allows himself to hope, just a little.  
\--  
If it was hard to keep from telling Bitty the truth Jack's junior year, it's a thousand times worse his senior year. He's aware that time is running out and Bitty returns from summer break still showing no sign that he's figured things out. Worse, Bitty now lives across the hall from him, and Jack gets to see him all the time.

Jack's dreams start becoming less distinguishable from reality. It's like now that he's figured out for certain that Bitty is his soulmate the dreams have given up trying to be subtle. Bitty laughing, his eyes soft; a pecan pie set out to cool by the kitchen window; skating at Faber, the ice comfortable and familiar under his blades.

Jack can't resist hanging out with Bitty more. It's like he's addicted to Bitty now that he sees him all the time. He invites him out to Annie's for coffee and catches himself reaching for Bitty's hand.

"Thanks for inviting me Jack," Bitty says, smiling, as they trump through the snow. "I really need a coffee today actually, I've been working on a paper for Thursday and I swear I'm about ready to tear it up and start over!" He sighs, kicking a clump of snow, and Jack can't help but think, adorable.

"I'd be happy to give it a read-through, if you'd like. But I'm sure it's salvageable Bittle, I know you've been working hard on it, eh?"

Bitty smiles, still looking at his feet. "Thanks Jack," he says again, "I've just gotta power through, that's all."

"Sure," says Jack, "it's just like checking that way."

Bitty laughs. "That's true!"

When Jack opens the door to Annie's for him and smiles down at him, Bitty says, "Goodness, thank you Jack," like Jack being kind is some sort of huge inconvenience for Jack. Bitty scurries inside, clearly not wanting to make Jack hold the door for too long.

"What are you going to get?," Bitty asks, when Jack steps inside and they've stomped the snow off their boots.

"A black coffee?" Jack grins, knowing his answer will incense Bitty, and sure enough, Bitty throws his hands up in disgust.

"How many times have we been here and you still don't get anything but a black coffee! Sugar will not kill your hockey game Jack."

"Right, right," Jack says, laughing, holding up his hands in surrender. "A latte then."

"That's acceptable," Bitty says, smiling.

They get up to the counter and Bitty orders his usual sugary disaster and Jack gets a latte. Jack insists on paying for both drinks despite Bitty's protests.

"My treat," Jack says, and Bitty sighs in defeat and lets Jack slide his cash across the counter. They slide into a table for two next to the window.

Jack stares across the table at Bitty and those wide brown eyes stare back at him. Jack desperately wants to kiss him, but settles for stealing a sip of his coffee and complaining about how much sugar is present inside.

Just a little longer, he tells himself.  
\--  
Eric wakes panting for breath, feeling like he's been under water with no air for minutes too long.

"Oh, sweetheart," he murmurs, hugging Señor Bunny tight. "What's gotten you so worried now, huh?"

His dreams have been much improved as a whole, less heart-wrenching and more quiet happiness than before, which means Eric has stopped worrying quite so much, but there are, and always will be, Eric suspects, nights like these.

Eric's heart is pounding, so he gives up on sleep for now, and sits up. He doesn't blame his soulmate for this, of course not, but he had hoped for a decent night's sleep tonight. He's a college student and he really needs it.

Eric sighs. A glass of warm milk from the kitchen should sort him out. He heads downstairs, careful to skip the ones that creak, and jumps a foot when Jack looks over at him from the couch.

"Good gracious Jack, you scared the bejeezus out'a me!" Eric whispers fiercely. "What on earth are you doing--" Awake is what he meant to say, but the word gets swallowed by a yawn.

"I could say the same to you," says Jack, frowning. "You do realize it's three in the morning? How are you intending to get through practice tomorrow?"

"Oh hush," Eric says, maybe a little too fiercely, and heads into the kitchen to get his glass of milk. By the time he starts to pour the milk into a glass, Jack has followed him into the kitchen and taken a seat at the table.

"Sorry," Jack says, abashed. "I, uh, I'm pretty tired, so. My brain to mouth filter is kind of. Nonexistent right now."

"Oh, Jack it's alright." Eric sets his milk in the microwave and sets it running. "I normally wouldn't dream of being awake, but I had a dream and I couldn't go back to sleep."

"Oh," Jack says, strangely hollow, and his mouth turns down into a harsh frown. "Your, um, soulmate, do they do this a lot?"

"Sometimes," Eric says, and hums. "It's alright though. I don't mind. They've gone through something rough in their life, so I don't blame them or anything like that. Really, I just wish I could be there for them, you know?"

Jack nods, staring contemplatively at the kitchen table. "I'm sure. I'm sure they. Don't mean it. Don't mean to disturb you."

Eric smiles. "Well, I know that, silly. But you can't help what your mind dwells on. And like I said, I really don't mind at all, except that I can't be there for them."

"You're already doing plenty," Jack says, and then abruptly stands and strides out of the kitchen. "I'm going back to bed. Don't stay up too late, Bittle," he says, over his shoulder.

"Sure," Eric replies, and stares after Jack. The microwave beeps, and he jumps.  
\--  
This is a stupid idea. He's warm with alcohol and with the way Bitty is leaning into his side as they sit on the couch. Jack's got a beer in his hand and he takes a big swig, because he's going to do it anyway.

"Hey Bittle, what do you know about your soulmate?"

"Huh?" Bitty's cheeks are flushed with alcohol and a smile is still frozen on his face, even when he tilts his head a little in confusion.

"Sorry, sorry," says Jack, "I shouldn't have asked. You don't have to tell me."

"No, no, it's alright you silly Canadian. I don't mind." Bitty smiles and Jack's chest aches. "Well, they're pretty private I think. I really only get emotions and little flashes of images, so I really don't know much about them. I know they've got a beautiful smile though."

Jack splutters in surprise. He coughs, trying to regain his careful neutrality. "That's all you've seen of them?"

Bitty nods, looking a little sheepish. "It's the nicest smile ever, though."

"Oh," Jack says, and grins. "Better than mine?"

"Loads better than your nonexistent smile," Bitty is a ruthless chirper and Jack shakes his head and accepts the diss without protest, trying hard not to smile too wide and give himself away. Bitty likes his smile. That's well, that's nice to know.

"What about you Jack? What do you know about yours?"

"Ah. Well. They're...kind and really warm. And they've got brown eyes. That's about all I have, really." Jack says, a little distantly, staring into Bitty's wide brown eyes.

"O-oh." Bitty stutters, and Jack flinches, realizing he's made this incredibly awkward by looking at Bitty like that. "I'm. Um. Really glad you have someone like that Jack. I'm sure they're lovely."

Jack grins, big and cocky, and says, "I know they are."

\--  
Eric is speed dialing his momma before he's wiped the sand out of his eyes, and she sounds a little bewildered when she picks up, "Why, Dicky! I didn't expect a call from you sweetie, is anything the matter?"

"I saw their eyes," Eric blurts. He's stopped referring to his soulmate using feminine pronouns now, but his mom hasn't said anything about it, and she always knows who he's talking about. It makes him wonder if, makes him _hope_ , she might not mind if he changes to the male pronouns that are always on the tip of his tongue.

"Oh my goodness!" Momma is in raptures on the other end of the line, and Eric can just picture her vibrating in excitement. "Well, don't leave me hanging, honey! Were they beautiful?"

"Yes," Eric sighs, "They're this really pale blue, like ice blue or baby blue. And they're big and angular and they seem kind of sad, but they're warm anyway and---Jack."

"What?" Momma's voice is the same volume as it was, but Eric can hardly hear her.

"Oh my god, Momma, I'm gonna have to call you back."

"Dicky, honey, do you know them?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think I do." Eric says, "I love you Momma, gotta go, bye!" He hangs up the phone even though he knows it's a little rude, but his momma will understand. He's got more important fish to fry.

\--  
Jack is sitting at his desk doing some last-minute reading for his history of modern China class when Bitty bursts in. Usually, Bitty is good about knocking, so Jack is a little surprised it's not Shitty or Ransom and Holster who have broken down his door.

When he sees Bitty's face, though, the urgency makes sense. Bitty looks like he's just seen Jack score with his eyes closed on a power play. Except, maybe it's the other team that scored, because Bitty looks equally amazed and pissed. As pissed as Bitty can look with his baby face, anyway, which is, actually, still pretty pissed.

He marches up to Jack, and sticks a finger in Jack's face. "How long, exactly, were you planning to keep this from me?"

"I'm sorry?" Jack racks his brain, but he can't think of what he might be keeping from Bitty that he would be so enraged by.

"Jack Laurent Zimmerman, I can't believe you!" Bitty cries, and sits heavily on Jack's bed, bouncing a little with the force of it. "How long have you known?"

"Bittle, slow down." Jack says, shaking his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh. Maybe you didn't--Oh geez, I just jumped to conclusions, and maybe I'm all turned round, oh, I knew this was a bad idea but I was so incensed I went and did it anyway and now-"

"Bittle," Jack says, and gets up from the desk to sit by Bitty's side on the bed. He puts a hand on Bitty's shoulder. "Calm down, eh? I'm not upset with you. I just want to understand."

Bitty nods, swallows. "I. Um. I had a dream last night. And I saw his eyes, Jack."

"Oh," says Jack, understanding. His eyes are pretty distinctive after all, though less so now that he's grown into them. "That." He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I. I wanted to tell you but I was. Nervous, I guess. I figured if you didn't know yet, then who was I to, y'know-And then I thought, maybe you wouldn't believe me and--"

Bitty makes the strangest high-pitched screech and throws his arms around Jack.

"I can't believe you!" Bitty says, and Jack tries to figure out whether Bitty is laughing or crying into his shoulder. "Sakes alive, Jack, all this time, and I was _so_ in love with you, and I thought, no, I should just wait for my soulmate, and Jack is probably straight anyhow, and now--"

"Did you just. You're in love with me?"

Bitty pulls back in Jack's arms, and his eyes are definitely wet. Oh hell. "Jack, a'course I am, you silly boy. How could I not be?"

"Oh," Jack says, feeling like he just took an elbow to the gut. He knew that Bitty was supposed to be his soulmate, but somehow, hearing him says he loves Jack, has loved him since before he even _knew_ they were soulmates, that's something else.

"So," says Bitty, looking determined but still blurry-eyed with tears, "And be honest with me now, how long, exactly, have you known about this?"

Jack swallows. "Um." Bitty's probably going to murder him, and he hasn't even gotten a chance to kiss him yet. "The second I met you?"

Bitty makes a sound that can only be described as a southern-bell gasp. "No!"

"Yeah," Jack says, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was your eyes. I had seen them already before I met you. As soon as I saw you, I was almost certain, and the more I dreamed the more convinced I got because I kept recognizing things, places, people."

"Oh man, so much of your behavior towards me makes more sense now. No wonder you didn't like me as a frog. Not only was I mucking up on the court but I was destroying your future too!"

"What?"

"Well, you know, you probably had your big gay crisis because of me and realized you couldn't be a gay hockey player and--"

"I'm bi, actually," Jack says, and shakes his head. "None of that happened Bitty. My parents have known I was bi since I was a kid, and I've been referring to you as a guy for a while now to my parents. Of course, I do have to consider the NHL but we can make that decision together."

"Oh," Bitty says, a little distantly.

"And I could never hate you. I _was_ frustrated with you, but only because I had a crush on you and you weren't living up to your potential as a player and I didn't know what to do about either then."

"And you do now?"

"Checking practice and getting to know you better so I could relax around you. And obviously waiting for you to figure us out on your end."

Bitty smiles. "Oh Jack, what'd I do to deserve you?"

Jack shakes his head, frowning. "I think you mean what did I do to deserve you? The things I must have put you through, God, and you were always my safe haven. I hope you can. Forgive me, for that."

"It wasn't--Jack." Bitty cups Jack's face and Jack wants to kiss him so bad, but he also feels dangerously raw in this moment. He can feel his heart pounding in his ribcage.

"You didn't experience those things and make it through those challenges to hurt me," Bitty says, "So there's nothing to forgive. You terrified me, you did, made me worried sick. But you didn't do that on purpose. And you made it through and you were able to be here to meet me. That's all that matters to me."

Jack crushes Bitty to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut hard against the onslaught of tears, but he can feel them steadily rolling down his cheeks. "If it wasn't for you, I don't know that I would have made it."

"Don't say that," Bitty says, "You're so strong, Jack. You would have powered your way through one way or another."

Jack doesn't argue because he knows better now. Instead, he gives in to his urge to kiss Bitty. Bitty shivers a little in Jack's arms and melts into the kiss.

"This is real," Bitty says, distantly, when they finally manage to break away from each other. "This is actually happening."

"Yes," Jack tells him, "You're not imagining this."

Bitty takes a deep breath and lets it out hard. "Wow."

"Are you okay?" Jack asks, worried now, that despite all that Bitty's told him, that somehow Jack has disappointed him.

"More than okay," Bitty says, giving Jack a squeeze and pulling back to meet Jack's eyes. "This is-I really did hope it was you, but I never really imagined it actually _would be_ , you know?"

"I'm glad it was you too," Jack says, and smiles. "My parents will be thrilled. My dad really liked you."

"They don't know already?"

"No, no. I couldn't tell them if you didn't know yourself."

"Oh geez," Bitty says, patting down his hair. "I sure hope they'll still like me if you bring me to meet them."

"They'll like you," Jack says firmly, "because I like you."

"Oh." Bitty says, and smiles, and Jack thinks, yeah, it was all worth it.


End file.
